Temple University Athletics
Sunday, February 16
Liacouras Center
2:00 PM
Temple University
7-17, 2-10
71
vs
64
SMU
20-6, 9-4
1
2
F
SMU
30
34
64
Temple
34
37
71
Dalton Pepper
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Men's Basketball Beats #23 SMU 71-64 to Give Hooter the Owl a Birthday Win
2.16.14 | Men's Basketball
Box Score (PDF) l Photo Gallery (Hooter's Birthday) l Photo Gallery (Game Action)Â | Dunphy Interview | Players Interview
PHILADELPHIA - It was another great birthday for Hooter the Owl, as Temple men's basketball gave its mascot a 71-64 win over #23 SMU (20-6, 9-4) on Sunday afternoon at the Liacouras Center. The Owls are now 9-0 all-time on Hooter's Birthday since the first celebration in 2005-06.
Dalton Pepper scored a game-high 24 points and was 6-of-6 at the line. He was one of five players who collectively went 14-of-16 at the stripe over the final nine minutes of the game to help Temple (7-17, 2-10) seal the win.
All seven players on the court scored for Temple, including three others in double figures.Â
Will Cummings and Quenton DeCosey scored 13 points apiece and Mark Williams, who started in place of Anthony Lee (minor injury to left knee), put up a strong effort with 10 points and seven rebounds. Devontae Watson finished with a game-high eight boards to go with eight points.
The Owls' defense held SMU without a field goal for nearly six of the final seven minutes, while Temple stayed in the lead with its performance at the line.
The Owls overcame a tough start in the game that saw them trail 11-2 less than four minutes in. With a quick, 7-2 run they cut the margin to four, and continued to keep the deficit within a few possessions over the next seven minutes.
Down 24-17 with 6:37 left in the first half, the Owls went on to dominate the rest of the way. They out-scored SMU 17-6 in the remaining time, which included an 8-0 run and back-to-back three-pointers by Williams.
The game was tied 30-30 just under the two minute mark. Williams hit a pair of free throws and then recorded a steal at 43 seconds which led to a Pepper layup. The 34-30 lead stood as the halftime score, with neither team converting on its final possession of the half.
The Owls had five offensive rebounds in the first half while SMU had zero, and Temple earned seven second-chance points with its efforts on the glass. Temple went on to finish with a 38-25 edge on the glass in the game, including a 12-4 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 15-2 lead in second-chance points.
SMU started the second half strong with a 13-5 run to lead by as many as four, but just like in the first half, Temple bounced back.
Six different players scored for Temple in a 16-7 run that put the Owls ahead by six, 55-49 just past the midway point of the half. Watson's dunk at 11:19 was part of that run, giving Temple a 49-48 lead, and the Owls never trailed again.
SMU's Nic Moore was the only player to score for the Mustangs in a seven-minute stretch from near the nine-minute mark to two-minute mark. He twice brought SMU within a point, but the Owls held off the Mustangs at the free throw line.
DeCosey, Cummings and Pepper combined to go 6-of-6 at the stripe in the first five minutes of that same stretch, the last two by Pepper putting Temple up 61-58 at 4:16.
At the other end, SMU suffered a huge drought at the free throw line, at one point missing seven in a row.
Pepper continued to hit, both from the field and the line, scoring six points in a row for a 65-58 lead at 1:49. The Owls' lead eventually increased to 10 with 34 seconds remaining, and it was too little too late by the time SMU countered with a 5-0 run.
The Mustangs' Markus Kennedy led his team with 18 points, while Moore finished with 15 before fouling out in the final minute.
Temple returns to the Liacouras Center Thursday for a 9:00 p.m. showdown with #24/rv UConn. Â The game will be televised live by ESPN2.
PHILADELPHIA - It was another great birthday for Hooter the Owl, as Temple men's basketball gave its mascot a 71-64 win over #23 SMU (20-6, 9-4) on Sunday afternoon at the Liacouras Center. The Owls are now 9-0 all-time on Hooter's Birthday since the first celebration in 2005-06.
Dalton Pepper scored a game-high 24 points and was 6-of-6 at the line. He was one of five players who collectively went 14-of-16 at the stripe over the final nine minutes of the game to help Temple (7-17, 2-10) seal the win.
All seven players on the court scored for Temple, including three others in double figures.Â
Will Cummings and Quenton DeCosey scored 13 points apiece and Mark Williams, who started in place of Anthony Lee (minor injury to left knee), put up a strong effort with 10 points and seven rebounds. Devontae Watson finished with a game-high eight boards to go with eight points.
The Owls' defense held SMU without a field goal for nearly six of the final seven minutes, while Temple stayed in the lead with its performance at the line.
The Owls overcame a tough start in the game that saw them trail 11-2 less than four minutes in. With a quick, 7-2 run they cut the margin to four, and continued to keep the deficit within a few possessions over the next seven minutes.
Down 24-17 with 6:37 left in the first half, the Owls went on to dominate the rest of the way. They out-scored SMU 17-6 in the remaining time, which included an 8-0 run and back-to-back three-pointers by Williams.
The game was tied 30-30 just under the two minute mark. Williams hit a pair of free throws and then recorded a steal at 43 seconds which led to a Pepper layup. The 34-30 lead stood as the halftime score, with neither team converting on its final possession of the half.
The Owls had five offensive rebounds in the first half while SMU had zero, and Temple earned seven second-chance points with its efforts on the glass. Temple went on to finish with a 38-25 edge on the glass in the game, including a 12-4 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 15-2 lead in second-chance points.
SMU started the second half strong with a 13-5 run to lead by as many as four, but just like in the first half, Temple bounced back.
Six different players scored for Temple in a 16-7 run that put the Owls ahead by six, 55-49 just past the midway point of the half. Watson's dunk at 11:19 was part of that run, giving Temple a 49-48 lead, and the Owls never trailed again.
SMU's Nic Moore was the only player to score for the Mustangs in a seven-minute stretch from near the nine-minute mark to two-minute mark. He twice brought SMU within a point, but the Owls held off the Mustangs at the free throw line.
DeCosey, Cummings and Pepper combined to go 6-of-6 at the stripe in the first five minutes of that same stretch, the last two by Pepper putting Temple up 61-58 at 4:16.
At the other end, SMU suffered a huge drought at the free throw line, at one point missing seven in a row.
Pepper continued to hit, both from the field and the line, scoring six points in a row for a 65-58 lead at 1:49. The Owls' lead eventually increased to 10 with 34 seconds remaining, and it was too little too late by the time SMU countered with a 5-0 run.
The Mustangs' Markus Kennedy led his team with 18 points, while Moore finished with 15 before fouling out in the final minute.
Temple returns to the Liacouras Center Thursday for a 9:00 p.m. showdown with #24/rv UConn. Â The game will be televised live by ESPN2.
Team Stats
SMU
TU
FG%
.480
.396
3FG%
.200
.333
FT%
.538
.840
RB
25
38
TO
10
14
STL
10
6
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
7
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
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